Game apparatus



March 23 1926.

M. L. BROOKS GAME APPARATUS 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25,

YIIIIIIIIIII.

March 23 1926. 1,578,005

M. L. BROOKS GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 25, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

OOOOOOOODG Jive/7291' of New York,

Patented uurrsn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX L. BROOKS, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed January 25, 1923. Serial No. 614,779.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX L. BROOKS, a

citizen of Brooklyn,

and usefu paratus, of

the United States, residing at in the county of Kings andState have invented certain new i Improvements in' Game Apwhich the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to game boards or apparatus improved fascinating, amusing and and has for an object to provide apparatus by means of whlch a interesting game may be played, embodying many features of both poker and billiards;

comprise which may a complete portable game apparatus ready for use anywhere, or an attachment for use in connection with regulation billiard tables; which provides an opportunity players for the comparison of skill of the in which the element of chance enters to an extent sufficient to make the game exce 1s compar and which ptionally interesting,

Other obatively inexpensive.

jects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of two embodiments of the invention and the novel fea tures will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in claims.

In the a ccompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan of a regulation billiard table to which the apparatus has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the end rail of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a plan of a game board const-ructed in accordance with and adapted to the invention be carried about, being complete in itself is a perspective of the same folded into a container;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of be same on- Fig. 4: partially tirely Fig. 6 is folded into a container;

a perspective of a container with the balls therein which are utilized in the playing of shown in Flg.

Fig. 7 is Referring 2, a board 3; and i on the line 77 of Fig. 1.

particularly to Figures 1 and 1 is adapted to extend across and fit upon one end portion of the playing surface 2, of

ing the usual side and lining the Fall 5 table in w extea regulation the game with the game board abut against the adjacent end flange 4. The rail 5 is provided with angular extensions 6 which extend across the openings leading to the pockets 7 of that end of the table so as to prevent the entrance of balls into said pockets. The rail 5 and its extensions 6 are provided with longitudinally extending rubber ribs or cushions 8 for defooting the balls which may strike against the same. The rail and its extensions are also provided with a longitudinally extending groove 9 near the lower edge thereof, in which the adjacent edge of the board 1 secured, with the board 1 inclined toward the table so as to rest at its outer or free edge upon the playing surface of the table. This outer or free edge of the board is bevelled or tapered as at 10, so that balls rolling over the playing surface of the table may ride up the tapered incline and thence across the very slightly'inclined surface of the board 1.

The upper surface of the board 1 is provided with a plurality of spaced pockets orv holes 11 of approximately the size of regula tion billiard balls and adjoining each pocket or hole, I provide pictorial representations 12 of the characters of playing cards; For example, a pocket may have adjacent thereto, a picture of figures of a heart, spade, club and diamond with a number or letter in each figure representing the value of the card in that group or class; There are preferably four such representations of possible play-.

7 provided with fifty-three holes or pockets which may be arranged in any suitable order designations, such as thereon, and except for the pockets designated as Joker, Dead hand, Jack pot, etc., the card designations are those of four possible combinations of cards which, with an additional card will constitute a hand in a poker game. i

A. plurality of balls 13, preferably fifteen in number are provided with various designations, such as the numerals from 1 to 10 and also jack of clubs, queen of hearts, joker, ace of diamonds and king of A cue. hall 141 may also he need. If desired, how

ever, the balls 1 to 10 may instead of n1uner-' ical designations carry designations of various possible cards of a playing card set.

In playing the game, the board, with the end rail attached thereto, is placed in the end of a regulation billiard table, as shown in Figure The cue ball is placed adjacent to but slightly in front of the board, as shown also in Figure 1, and the ballslS are racked in the usual mauner near the end of the table opposite from the board 1.. The one ball 14 is then propelled over the playing surface of the table in any suitable manner, such as by manually rolling it, or by shooting it with the cue, in a manner to cause it to strike the racked balls 13 and break up the assembly. Additional plays upon the balls 13 are then made by shooting the cue ballagainst the same, in a manner common to that employed in the playing of pocket billiards, with the idea of causing one of the balls 13 to pass up on the board 1 and enter one of the pockets 11 in the surface of the board.

hen a ball enters a pocket, the designation upon that ball is taken with the card designations associated with. that pocket to complete the hand which is to be allotted to the player who caused the ball to enter that pocket. The playing is continued until each player has obtained a hand in the same manner or is ruled out by getting a ball in a certain pocket. Each player may have any-selected number of chances in which to get a ball into one of the pockets and thus determine his hand, and the one havin the I b highest hand as a result of the shots, wins connected together, edge for edge, in

suitable manner, such as by hinges 18, the combined sections having a peripheral flange 19 which confines the balls to the playing surface of the combined sections. The intermediate section 16 has a length approximately equal to thecombined lengths of the end sections 15' and 17, so that when the end sections are swung about the hinges 18 over upon the same face of the intermediate section, the sections will altogether form between them a pocket or chamber in which the playing balls may be carried, and so as to protect the playing surface from injury or soiling as well as to render the game board more compact and easily carried. A

suitable fastening device 20, such as a hookand eye, may be provided for latching the sections together.

Upon or in the playing surface of one of the end sections, such as 15, a plurality of pockets 21, are provided, similar to the pockets 11 of the embodiment shown in Figure 1. Each of these pockets is also provide with designations 22 which correspond to an incomplete hand that might be used in a poker game and are similar to the designations 12 provided for the pockets 11 in the embodiment shown in Figure 1. A plurality of balls 23 are provided, one for each player, each having thereon a designation corresponding to a playing card. In the illustration this designation is that of the joker card, but obviously any other card might be selected. Each player is assigned a ball and in turn propels the same from the end of the board opposite from the pockets in a direction towards the pockets in an endeavor to cause the ball to enter one of the pockets.

The balls may be propelled manually or" in any other suitable manner, such as by shooting them with the cue, and the skill of the player is utilized in endeavoring to cause the ball to enter one of the pockets having a designation which when combined with the value of the ball will complete one of the highest hands. The designation on the ball taken with the'designation of the pocket in which the ball enters determines the value of the hand which is allotted to'the player-who places the ball in the pocket. Each player may have any selected number of chances or turns in which to get a ball into one of the holes and thus determine his hand, and the. playerobtaining the highest hand as a result of the-shots, wins the-game. The inner periphery of the flange 19 is preferably provided with a rubber cushion 24 which readily deflects the balls when they strike against it, and thus renders more difiicult the placing of a ball in any particular pocket.

In both of the embodiments of the invention, additional rules or regulations may be prescribed for the guidance of the players, or for making the game more simple or diificult, and it will be observed that the game employs many features of both poker and billiards which causes the game to appeal to lovers'of both games.

It will. be obvious that various changes in the proportion and details of the parts and their arrangement, herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of the invention, may be made 7 by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a game apparatus, a game board having in its surface a plurality of spaced pockets, each having designations in poker terminology of a number of cards used in a poker game, and balls adapted to be oper ated over the surface of the board into the pockets, the designations of a pocket into which a ball enters being taken as at least part of the hand of the player operating that particular ball.

2. The game apparatus substantially as set forth in claim 1 in which the balls have designations of poker cards which, taken with the designations of a pocket into which the ball enters, determine the value of the poker hand obtained by the player operating that particular ball.

3. Game apparatus, for use on billiard tables comprising a board of a size and shape to fit into one end portion of a billiard table with its surface along the free edge thereof tapering into the surface of the table upon which its rests, a rail along the edge of the board at the end of the table and closing the end pockets of' 'the table, said board having in its surface a plurality of spaced pockets, each with designations in poker terminology of a number of cards used in a poker game, and balls adapted to be operated over the surface of the board into the pockets, the designations of a pocket into which a ball enters, being taken as at least part of the hand of the player operating that particular ball.

4. The game apparatus substantially as set forth in claim 3, in which the rail is provided with a rubber cushion for deflecting the balls.

5. Game apparatus, for use on billiard tables comprising a board of a size and shape to fit into one end portion of a billiard table with its surface along the free edge thereof tapering into the surface of the table upon which it rests, means carried by the board for closing the pockets of the table at the end in which the board is placed, said board having in its surface a plurality of spaced pockets, each with designations in poker terminology of a number of cards used in a poker game, and balls adapted to be operated over the surface of the board into the pockets, the designations of a pocket into which a ball enters, being taken as at least part of the hand of the player operating that particular ball.

6. The game apparatus substantially as set forth in claim 5, and rubber cushions on the table-pocket-closing means.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

MAX L. BROOKS. 

